Throw It Back
by lindsmei815
Summary: Just a fluffy one-shot about two girls at a baseball game.


Throw it back

Jane held onto Maura's hand as she wove her way through the crowd. She smiled at her girlfriend's attire, from the navy blue hat with a red B on the front to the official looking jersey she wore.

"Maur, come on, slow down!" Jane pulled Maura back and off to an empty space on the sidewalk where they wouldn't be trampled by the crowd.

"Jane, speed up! I can't wait to show you our seats!"

"Maur, I've seen the Isles Foundation seats before, remember, the last 3 games we've gone to?"

"We're not sitting there! I wanted to experience the game from a different angle."

"What do you mean? We always sit in the Isles Foundation seats. How could you pass them up? They're amazing!" Jane had seen plenty of games from different angles. Namely the bleachers in the outfield and the nosebleeds high above the field.

"Just trust me Jane, these are great too!"

With that, Maura pulled Jane back into the crowd. She briefly wondered if her girlfriend was going a little crazy. Who gives up seats 4 rows behind home plate at Fenway Park? Unless she traded them for seats 2 rows behind home plate. Jane smiled in anticipation.

But Maura passed by the normal gate they normally entered and led her to one on the first base side of the stadium. She presented their tickets to an usher who led them to their seats - first row in a front box in right field.

"How are these Jane?" Maura asked, settling into her seat.

"The seats are great Maur, but they don't hold a candle to the normal seats. You sure you want to slum it out in right field?" Jane tried to hide her disappointment at the rather pedestrian seats they were currently sitting in. She felt a bit spoiled by the Isles Foundation seats and wasn't afraid to admit it. The seats were damn good.

"Oh yes, absolutely. Since we've been coming to games together, I've hoped that one day I could catch a home run for you! You told me you'd never had a game ball before!" Maura's smile was infectious. Jane wasn't sure she had seen her more excited about baseball before.

"Oh baby, that's so sweet!" Jane felt a twinge of guilt for her earlier disappointment. How had she gotten so lucky?

She watched as the blonde reached into her purse and pulled out her softball glove.

"See? I even brought my glove!" Maura looked at Jane like a little kid. "I did a statistical analysis based on the starting pitcher and the other team's players and what the likely path of the majority of the fly balls would be. I also double checked the wind patterns this morning and I should have a great chance to catch a home run from this seat!"

Jane's heart burst with happiness at Maura's admission. The Red Sox were originally Jane's thing, but Maura had embraced Jane's favorite summer past time wholeheartedly. Whereas Jane loved the athletics and the physicality of the sport, Maura loved the numbers, the statistics, the probability. It had become their favorite summer past time to share.

Five innings later, Maura was disappointed that she hadn't even had a chance to try to catch a ball. She kept her glove on just in case, but her original enthusiasm had waned.

"Jane, the statistics said that we'd be guaranteed at least 1.56 balls hit in this direction, with the probability of 0.92 being a home run. There hasn't even been one ball hit near us!"

"Honey, this guy is killing us! We haven't even had a hit so far. Baseball isn't just numbers, sometimes we're just damn unlucky and can't get a hit."

"Number don't lie," Maura pouted. She liked numbers. They always made sense.

Jane put her arm around Maura.

"If you don't catch a home run this game, we'll come back to every game until you do, okay? I'd be willing to make that sacrifice," Jane smiled.

As she said that, the crowd started to cheer.

"Maur, get your glove up! This may be it!"

The ball flew toward them.

"Snap!" The ball hit the glove. Of the right fielder.

"Jaaaane," Maura looked disappointed. Jane hated when Maura looked disappointed.

"Just keep watching the game, like you said, numbers don't lie." She tried to reassure her girlfriend.

The inning ended and the other team came up to bat.

Two pitches into the first batter...

"Maura, the ball is coming!"

"But Jane, it's the wrong team!"

"Maur, get your glove up!"

"Jane!"

"Snap!" Maura's glove closed around the ball.

"You did it!"

"Throw it back, throw it back, throw it back!" the crowd chanted.

"Jane, what are they saying?"

"They want you to throw the ball back. You don't have to if you don't want to. But it's a tradition not to keep the ball from an opposing team's home run."

"But Jane, I caught it!" Maura was torn. She had waited all day to catch a home run for Jane and she finally had. Even though it wasn't hit by a Red Sox player.

"Then keep it."

"Throw it back lady! You can't keep it! C'mon!" the crowd jeered.

"It's okay if you want to keep it Maur," Jane said softly.

Maura heard the crowd continue chanting. She knew what she had to do.

She cocked her arm back and threw the ball onto the field. The crowd cheered.

"Maura!"

"I had to Jane. It's tradition!" She snuggled into Jane's embrace. "I'm afraid you're going to have to sit through more games until I can catch a Red Sox home run for you."


End file.
